Eggnog Popsicles Recipe--using up extra eggs!

The Lovely Assistant and Eric enjoying their eggnog popsicles in July.

Chickens lay lots of eggs in the spring and summer! I thought we would use up some and enjoy one of the Lovely Assistant and Eric's favorite Christmas recipes--our family-friendly eggnog. I have no idea why eggnog became so popular at Christmas, as egg production is lowest at that time of year, and eggnog uses up a lot of eggs! Since it is really hot outside now (July), we turned the batch into popsicles for maximum seasonal enjoyment. Most of this household is dairy-free, so make the obvious substitutions to regular half-and-half if your family enjoys dairy!

EGGNOG POPSICLES RECIPE (Dairy-free)

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking, by Rombauer, Becker and Becker. 8 servings.

Set aside:

1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or non-dairy beverage of your choice)

Whisk in a medium bowl until just blended:

6 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar or equivalent sweetener of your choice

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg

Heat in a large saucepan over medium-low heat:

2 cups unsweetened soy milk (or non-dairy beverage of your choice)

While whisking, slowly add part of the hot non-dairy milk to the egg yolks so that they do not cook. Then slowly pour the non-dairy and egg mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes a little thicker and reaches a temperature of about 175 degrees Fahrenheit. (Alternatively, until it thickly coats a spoon and leaves a distinct line of milk on the spoon when you draw your finger across the back of the spoon.) Do not overheat or the mixture will curdle. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the unsweetened soy milk originally set aside. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a storage container and cool. Chill thoroughly, uncovered preferred but not required.

Stir in:

1 Tablespoon of rum extract or to taste (The Lovely Assistant takes over at this point and adds it to taste. Frankly, I do not care for eggnog as it is too rich for my taste, but the other two will swill all we have!)

Pour into popsicle containers, cap and place into freezer to enjoy when frozen solid!